Overgrown and underused, the small park just north of downtown was more a public safety concern than an asset.

The two-acre swath — alternately called High Falls or Upper Falls Terrace Park — is one of the city's oldest parks. It sits adjacent to the Genesee Brewhouse or, more accurately, beyond the fenceline of the parking lot.

So often overlooked, the park is left out entirely from a listing of local parks on the city website. Until recently, an untamed tangle of trees and brush blocked the view of the falls and Genesee River gorge, leaving a concrete viewing platform as the park's main feature. Neighbors, tired of cleaning up, had stopped visiting.

But come next month, the park will be the site of a celebration. Dubbed ROC the FALLS, the Sept. 7 gathering will highlight what organizers are billing as "one of the most undiscovered yet spectacular destinations in Rochester."

The park has begun to transform, as the city and Genesee Brewery, working with neighbors, have been active with landscaping, painting, and pruning that has reopened the viewshed. There are new picnic tables and a grill. More improvements are planned.

"I can see it," said Maria Diaz, 59, who lives across the street at St. Simon's Terrace and has become enamored by the nighttime view when the falls are lit and the spray captures the colors. "I'm so happy I can see it. I said, 'Wait a minute. It's such a beautiful view.'"

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The recent Roc the Riverway announcement, committing $50 million to riverfront improvements, earmarks $1 million for the park area and improvements to the Brewery Line Trail that runs through it.

ROC the FALLS, sponsored by the brewery and the city, will bring food trucks and beer (including the debut of a limited release Genesee Brew House Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout), live music, fireworks and a live mural painting with festival-goers invited to join in. Before the event, local artist Shawn Dunwoody has been commissioned to paint a 3-D falls view on the observation platform.

Plans for a 3-D painting on the High Falls observation platform would provide visitors with a fun photo-op.(Photo11: Shawn Dunwoody)

Mayor Lovely Warren joined in announcing the Roc the Falls event Friday, which was as much about the event as the revival of the park. Said Warren: "The goal is to make sure that, from every angle, you will be able to see the falls."

Come Sept. 7, Genesee Brewery will close so its 300-plus employees can volunteer on community projects on the north side with Ibero-American Development Corp, Genesee Land Trust, Greentopia and the city. The brewery is marking its 140th anniversary this year.

BDSHARP@Gannett.com

Rina Sherman with Genesee Brewery paints a railing along the Brewery Line Trail on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at High Falls Terrace Park.(Photo11: Brian Sharp/@sharproc)